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Bamberg

Brose team reaps a lot of applause despite a narrow defeat against Berlin

Bamberg, 10-06-2019

It was a defeat to whet the appetite. The newly formed Brose Bamberg lost by the narrow margin of 74:78 against the closely-knit team of Alba Berlin. The 5,500 spectators in the Brose Arena saw an inspiring home side, who even led by 11 points (41:30) at one stage thanks to its great commitment, passion and fight.

The starting formation comprised five new players: Paris Lee, Kameron Taylor, Tré McLean, Christian Sengfelder and Assem Marei. And it proved a match for last year’s runners-up and this season’s Euroleague participants. Bamberg led narrowly by 18:17 after the first period, and the team of Head Coach Roel Moors also conceded just 17 points in the second quarter thanks to its plucky defending. And Bamberg produced very attractive moves up front: Fast passing below the basket and varied combinations to carve out open shots from beyond the arc, with the result that it produced a run of seven points without reply to move 25:17 ahead at the start of the second period. Top scorers Kameron Taylor (17 points) and Christian Sengfelder (11) confirmed their good form from the warm-ups. Sengfelder added a slam-dunk and Taylor a mid-range shot – Bamberg led 41:30 and had Berlin completely under control. Paris Lee (10 points) and also the young playmaker talent Nelson Weidemann (6) directed matters skillfully: 12 assists up to half-time (43:34) are testimony to how strongly Bamberg built its moves.

However, Bamberg was without Assem Marei after the break – the Egyptian has twisted his neck. Berlin was promptly able to deploy Landry Nnoko more and more – and the home side was no longer able to get a grip on him. The center hurt Bamberg not only with his 18 points, but above all by snapping up seven offensive rebounds. Alba scored a total of 17 points from these second chances, whereas Bamberg only managed eight points off what was actually a respectable tally of eight offensive rebounds. Moreover, the visitors punished the home side every time it lost possession in the opening minutes after the break, when Bamberg conceded six out of its total of eleven turnovers. As a result, Berlin soon cut the deficit to 45:40. Bamberg extended its lead to double digits again thanks to threes by Louis Olinde (59:48 in the 28th minute), but then the visitors sparked a comeback through Martin Hermannsson. He notched up seven of his 17 points in a row by the end of the period, meaning Bamberg only took a 61:55 lead into the final quarter. Berlin snatched the lead with six minutes remaining, after which a nail-biting to-and-fro affair ensued down to the wire. Paris Lee rekindled Bamberg’s hopes of winning by tying the scores at 74:74 with 99 seconds remaining, but then Berlin proved to be more clinical and drained two free throws to move 74:76 ahead. Whereas Lee’s lay-up to equalize danced on the hoop and Sengfelder’s open shot from downtown rebounded out, the unperturbed Hermannsson drained his mid-range shot to make it 74:78 for Berlin with six seconds left on the clock. Despite the narrow defeat, the Bamberg fans feted their team’s promising performance with loud applause.

Brose Bamberg’s Head Coach Roel Moors commented: “First of all, congratulations to Alba Berlin. We played with a great deal of intensity and fought for every ball. I think we played together harmoniously as a team. We were unfortunately not able to drain an open three-pointer at the end and a lay-up before that. We ought to have sealed the game earlier. We conceded eight turnovers in the second half and they hurt us a lot. Alba scored 17 points off rebounds compared to our eight – that speaks volumes. That was essentially what led to our defeat.”

Brose Bamberg now travels to Weißenfels for a game against Mitteldeutscher BC on Sunday, October 13, 2019. The tip-off is at 3 p.m.

For more information visit www.brosebamberg.de, www.easycredit-bbl.de and http://www.championsleague.basketball/de